MP speaks up over ‘hazardous’ zebra

MP for Buckingham John Bercow has taken up cudgels over a ‘hazardous’ zebra crossing in Winslow.

Winslow Town Council has asked Transport for Bucks (TfB) to improve safety at the crossing on the high street, near the junction with Avenue Road.

The town council would like to see ‘halo’-style belisha beacons installed there, and even offered to pay half the cost, as far back as 2009.

In May, Winslow childminder Vicky Cochrane called for a pelican crossing. But a spokesman from TfB’s casualty reduction team told her the risk of a collision is low as there have been no reported injury collisions on the crossing in the last 20 years.

The town council has put out an appeal in November’s Parish News, asking people to come forward with their reports of ‘near misses’ on the crossing, so it can compile a dossier.

Resident Ruth Ash told the Advertiser she had a near miss there two weeks ago.

She said: “I was out walking my dogs and almost got mown down by a double-decker bus on that crossing.

“I and a teenage girl started making our way across the crossing, fully expecting the bus to stop. It didn’t, and we had to run for it to avoid being run over.

“Anyone less able would have gone under the wheels. The driver just didn’t see us. This is probably the third or fourth time that this has happened to me over the last couple of years.”

Ms Ash said the crossing, is used by a lot of parents and children going to from school, as well as elderly and people going to the doctor’s surgery.

“There is a tragedy going to happen,” she said.

Mr Bercow said: “I am most concerned to learn of the impasse reached between Winslow Town Council and Transport for Bucks over improvements to the hazardous zebra crossing on Winslow High Street.

“I have written to the chief executive at Bucks County Council about this matter and am hopeful that a prompt and mutually acceptable solution can be found.”